(Eighth Parliament - Third Session ) No . 71 . ] MINUTES OF PARLIAMENT Friday, June 21, 2019 at 10.30 a.m. PRESENT ::: Hon. J. M. Ananda Kumarasiri, Deputy Speaker and the Chair of Committees Hon. Selvam Adaikkalanathan, Deputy Chairperson of Committees Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister and Minister of National Policies, Economic Affairs, Resettlement & Rehabilitation, Northern Province Development and Youth Affairs Hon. (Mrs.) Thalatha Atukorale, Minister of Justice & Prison Reforms Hon. Gayantha Karunatileka, Minister of Lands and Parliamentary Reforms and Chief Government Whip Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Power, Energy and Business Development Hon. Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Minister of Education Hon. Lakshman Kiriella, Minister of Public Enterprise, Kandyan Heritage and Kandy Development and Leader of the House of Parliament Hon. (Mrs.) Chandrani Bandara, Minister of Women & Child Affairs and Dry Zone Development Hon. Arjuna Ranatunga, Minister of Transport & Civil Aviation Hon. (Dr.) Rajitha Senaratne, Minister of Health, Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine Hon. P. Harrison, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock Development, Irrigation and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Hon. (Dr.) Harsha De Silva, Non Cabinet Minister of Economic Reforms and Public Distribution Hon. Sujeewa Senasinghe, Non Cabinet Minister of Science, Technology & Research Hon. Ashok Abeysinghe, State Minister of Transport & Civil Aviation Hon. J. C. Alawathuwala, State Minister of Internal & Home Affairs and Provincial Councils and Local Government Hon. Ranjith Aluvihare, State Minister of Tourism Development, Wildlife & Christian Religious Affairs Hon. Wasantha Aluwihare, State Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Economic Affairs ( 2 ) M. No. 71 Hon. Lucky Jayawardana, State Minister of City Planning & Water Supply Hon. Niroshan Perera, State Minister of National Policies & Economic Affairs Hon. A. D. Premadasa, State Minister of Power & Renewable Energy Hon. Ranjan Ramanayake, State Minister of Highways & Road Development Hon. Eran Wickramaratne, State Minister of Finance Hon. (Dr.) (Mrs.) Anoma Gamage, Deputy Minister of Petroleum Resources Development Hon. Edward Gunasekara, Deputy Minister of Lands and Parliamentary Reforms Hon. Karunarathna Paranawithana, Deputy Minister of Skills Development & Vocational Training Hon. Hector Appuhamy Hon. Rohitha Abeygunawardana Hon. Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera Hon. Thushara Indunil Amarasena Hon. Lasantha Alagiyawanna Hon. Dullas Alahapperuma Hon. Ananda Aluthgamage Hon. Mahindananda Aluthgamage Hon. (Dr.) S. M. Mohamed Ismail Hon. Faizal Cassim Hon. A. Aravindh Kumar Hon. Velu Kumar Hon. Nalaka Prasad Colonne Hon. Siripala Gamalath Hon. Udaya Prabhath Gammanpila Hon. Nihal Galappaththi Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena Hon. (Dr.) Bandula Gunawardane Hon. Padma Udhayashantha Gunasekera Hon. S. M. Chandrasena Hon. D. V. Chanaka Hon. Sisira Jayakody Hon. Malith Jayathilake Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayathissa Hon. Anuradha Jayaratne ( 3 ) M. No. 71 Hon. Piyankara Jayaratne Hon. (Dr.) Kavinda Heshan Jayawardana Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara Hon. (Mrs.) Sumedha G. Jayasena Hon. Mylvaganam Thilakarajah Hon. K. Thurairetnasingam Hon. Janaka Bandara Tennakoon Hon. Piyal Nishantha De Silva Hon. Mohan Priyadarshana De Silva Hon. T. Ranjith De Zoysa Hon. Anura Dissanayaka Hon. S. B. Dissanayake Hon. Weerakumara Dissanayake Hon. Salinda Dissanayake Hon. Douglas Devananda Hon. Manusha Nanayakkara Hon. Vasudeva Nanayakkara Hon. I. Charles Nirmalanathan Hon. (Dr.) Ramesh Pathirana Hon. K. K. Piyadasa Hon. Susantha Punchinilame Hon. Dilan Perera Hon. Sanath Nishantha Perera Hon. Sujith Sanjaya Perera Hon. Ashoka Priyantha Hon. Arundika Fernando Hon. A. D. Susil Premajayantha Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen Hon. Tharaka Balasuriya Hon. Vijitha Berugoda Hon. S. M. Marikkar Hon. K. Kader Masthan Hon. Seyed Ali Zahir Moulana Hon. Imran Maharoof Hon. (Prof.) Ashu Marasinghe Hon. S. C. Mutukumarana Hon. Anura Priyadharshana Yapa ( 4 ) M. No. 71 Hon. Seeniththamby Yoheswaran Hon. (Ven.) Athuraliye Rathana Thero Hon. Bimal Rathnayake Hon. C. B. Rathnayake Hon. Prasanna Ranatunga Hon. Ishak Rahuman Hon. Mujibur Rahuman Hon. Harshana Rajakaruna Hon. Chamal Rajapaksa Hon. Namal Rajapaksa Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksa, Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Hon. Nimal Lanza Hon. Gamini Lokuge Hon. (Mrs.) Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi Hon. (Dr.) Jayampathy Wickramaratne Hon. Lakshman Ananda Wijemanne Hon. (Dr.) (Mrs.) Thusitha Wijemanna Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri Hon. Kanchana Wijesekara Hon. Duleep Wijesekera Hon. Hesha Withanage Hon. Thenuka Vidanagamage Hon. Chandima Weerakkody Hon. Kumara Welgama Hon. S. Shritharan Hon. Jayantha Samaraweera Hon. Sandith Samarasinghe Hon. E. Saravanapavan Hon. Muthu Sivalingam Hon. Annamalai Nadesu Sivasakthi Hon. Thilanga Sumathipala Hon. M. A. Sumanthiran Hon. Lakshman Senewiratne Hon. Chathura Sandeepa Senaratne Hon. Shehan Semasinghe Hon. Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa ( 5 ) M. No. 71 Hon. Rauff Hakeem Hon. Wijepala Hettiarachchi Hon. Indika Anuruddha Herath Hon. Kanaka Herath Hon. A. H. M. Fowzie Hon. Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka Mr. Dhammika Dasanayake, Secretary -General of Parliament Mr. Neil Iddawala, Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary -General of Parliament Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, Assistant Secretary -General Mr. Tikiri K. Jayathilake, Assistant Secretary -General Parliament met pursuant to adjournment. The Deputy Speaker took the Chair. 1. Announcements by the Speaker : The Deputy Speaker made the following announcement:─ “I wish to inform that the Speaker has endorsed the certificate on the Bill entitled ‘Motor Traffic (Amendment)’ on the 20 th of June 2019 in terms of the Provisions of Article 79 of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.” 2. Presentation of Papers : (1) The Minister of Lands and Parliamentary Reforms presented the — (i) Performance Report of the Sri Lanka Police for the year 2018; and (ii) Annual Report of the Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Ltd for the year 2014/2015 and moved that those Reports be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security. Question put, and agreed to. (2) The Minister of Lands and Parliamentary Reforms presented the — (i) Annual Report of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka for the year 2017; (ii) Annual Report of the Bank of Ceylon for the year 2017; and (iii) Annual Performance Report of the Department of Valuation for the year 2018 and moved that those Reports be referred to the Committee on Public Finance. Question put, and agreed to. ( 6 ) M. No. 71 (3) The Minister of Lands and Parliamentary Reforms presented the Report on the Submission of observations and steps taken in terms of the Standing Order 119(4) of the Parliament with regard to the matters mentioned on the Western Provincial Council, Matale Municipal Council, Galenbindunuwewa Pradeshiya Sabha and Trincomalee Urban Council in the Second Report for the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Committee on Public Accounts for the period from 23.02.2018 to 12.10.2018 which was presented to Parliament on 04.04.2019 and moved that the Report be referred to the Committee on Public Accounts. Question put, and agreed to. (4) The Minister of Lands and Parliamentary Reforms presented the — (i) Annual Report of the Ceylon Electricity Board for the year 2016; (ii) Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board for the year 2016; and (iii) Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Regulatory Council for the year 2017 and moved that those Reports be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Energy. Question put, and agreed to. (5) The Minister of Lands and Parliamentary Reforms presented the Performance Report of the Department of National Physical Planning for the year 2018 and moved that the Report be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Economic Development. Question put, and agreed to. (6) The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock Development, Irrigation and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development presented the Report on the Submission of observations and steps taken in terms of the Standing Order 119(4) of the Parliament with regard to the matters mentioned on the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources Management in the First Report for the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Committee on Public Accounts for the period from 06.06.2017 to 08.12.2017 which was presented to Parliament on 21.02.2019 and moved that the Report be referred to the Committee on Public Accounts. Question put, and agreed to. (7) The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock Development, Irrigation and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development presented the Report on the Submission of observations and steps taken in terms of the Standing Order 120(4) of the Parliament with regard to the matters mentioned on Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute in the First Report for the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Committee on Public Enterprises for the period from 01.07.2017 to 30.09.2017 which was presented to Parliament on 24.01.2019 and moved that the Report be referred to the Committee on Public Enterprises. Question put, and agreed to. ( 7 ) M. No. 71 (8) The Minister of Lands and Parliamentary Reforms presented the Performance Report of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation for the year 2018 and moved that the Report be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Transport and Communication. Question put, and agreed to. (9) The Minister of Lands and